Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner celebrated in Long Beach

LONG BEACH — Until Wednesday, the closest Matthew Daines had been to the new Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner was with computer drawings of the commercial airplane. | PHOTOS: PC | MOBILE

For the past few years, the Long Beach-based engineer had been traveling to Everett, Wash., to work on the dream project.

"We got to size and design the structural parts of the airplane, whether it be the fuselage, the wing, the horizontal stabilizer," said Daines, who also works on the C-17 military aircraft produced in Long Beach. "You work on your section and interface with other sections, but you don't ever really get to see it put together until today. ... It gives you a real sense of pride and accomplishment. It's an amazing feeling."

Dozens of Boeing employees who worked on the 787 commercial airplane project got to see the end result of their handiwork Wednesday, joining state, local and Boeing officials to celebrate and tour the 787 Dreamliner at the C-17 plant in Long Beach.

The stop in Long Beach is part of the 787's six-month Dream Tour, which continues in Salt Lake City today.

With the C-17 and the 787 nose-to-nose in the backdrop, Bob Ciesla, vice president and C-17 program manager, called the event "a historic day in aviation history."

"Today, we celebrate a continuation of Boeing's rich aerospace legacy in Southern California that began more than 90 years ago," he said.

Among those in attendance was Gov. Jerry Brown, who made a quick remark about the 787 program, which was launched in April 2004.

"It's putting California right out in front and keeping America No. 1 in world aviation," Brown said.

Mike Fleming, vice president of 787 services and support, said the company set out many years ago to create an airplane that was quieter, 20 percent more fuel-efficient and more passenger-friendly.

"We needed the best of the best to be able to accomplish those things," he said. "Together, we pulled from all across the Boeing corporation, along with our partners all across the world, to go achieve that, and we brought that to market today with the 787."

Fleming thanked the California workers and suppliers who contributed to the creation of the Dreamliner.

Nearly 300 Long Beach engineers worked full-time on the 787, the first mid-size, fuel-efficient airplane capable of flying long-range routes.

"I went up to Everett, and saw these planes being tested, and sometimes it was just a wing," said Sheri Festa, a structural analyst in Long Beach. "To see it all put together here is unbelievable."

The 787 Dreamliner showcases the latest in airplane technology and design. Features include larger windows, electronic dimming system to adjust the amount of light entering the cabin and mood lighting to help passengers adjust their body clocks according to the change in time zones. Cabin pressure is 2,000 feet closer to ground level and the air purification system is cleaner and healthier.

Fifty-nine customers from six continents have placed orders for 870 airplanes valued at over $178 billion, making it the most successful twin-aisle launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing's history, according to Boeing.

"I definitely think this is the future," said pilot Captain William Mnich. "And I think the marketplace seems to agree that this is hitting a real sweet spot in the need for a long-range airplane that hauls comfortably 230 to 240 passengers over a long distance. We can connect almost any two cities on earth within 8,000 miles of each other and I think there's a lot of room in that market right now in the world."